Horse-releaser.



P. 0. MoNIdOL.

HORSE RBLEASER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1908.

906,266. Patented Dc.8,1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

) F1 [FE if v 20 FILES 2] 5 17 29 PEARL 0. MCNICOL, OF EUREKA, KANSAS.

HORSE-RELEASER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application filed July 27, 1908. Serial No. 445,557.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PEARL 0. MoNIooL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Eureka, in the county of Greenwood, State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in I-Iorse-Releasers; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices for instantly releasing horses fromvehicles in event of their running away or becoming unruly, and has forone of its objects to simplify and im rove the construction and increasethe e 'ciency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to produce a simply constructeddevice whereby the thills or pole may be instantly released from theaxle by the driver when occasion requires.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in spacedclip devices connected to the axle, clamps connected to the cli s andhaving means for coupling the th1 ls or the pole shackles thereto, andlooking devices connected to'the clamps and under the control of thedriver, whereby the clamping devices may be instantly released whenrequired.

The invention further consists in certain novel features of constructionas hereafter shown and described, and then specifically pointed out inthe claim, and in the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, Figure 1 is a lan view of the rear portions of a pair oft s including the cross bar and the forward axle with the improvedreleasing device connected thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of the axle and thillsillustrating more fully the construction of one of the improved devices.Fig. 4 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is atransverse section on the line 55 of Fig. 3. y

The improved device is ada ted to be applied to a single vehicle or a(fiiuble vehic e, as required, but for the purpose of illustration isshown applied to an ordinary sin le horse device, and in theillustration the t s are indicated respectively at 1011 and the crossbar at 12 with the WhifHe-tree 13 ivoted at 14 centrally thereof to thecross ar. Attached by clips 15 to the axle 16 are two base members 17preferably with recesses to bear over the lower face of the axle. Themembers 17 are located where the ordinary thill or tongue clips arelocated, and replace the same. Each of the members 17 and itsattachments being substantially alike, the description of one willsuffice for both. Formed in the outer end of each base member is arecess 18 provided with a transverse pin 19 and rojecting from each basemember rearwar ly of the axle is a pin 19. Bearing over the axle at eachof the base members 17 is a clamp member 20 having an aperture at theinner end enga ing over the pin 19 and with a curved portion 21 at theouter end engaging behind the pin 19, as shown. Pivoted at 22 to eachbase member 17 is a lock lever 23 each bearing by one end over one ofthe pins 19*, and coupled at their free ends by rods 24, the rodsconnected at their free ends to a double operating crank. Springs 25 arecoupled to the levers 23, and thus exert their force to hold the locklevers yieldablyin closed position, as hereafter explained.

Formed in each of the clamp members 20 is a socket 26 having inwardlydepending apertured ears 27, the sockets to receive the head portions 28of the thill or shaft shackles or irons 29, and in which they areswingingly connected by pins 30. Anti-rattle springs 31 are alsoconnected to the clamp members 20 and bear against the heads 28. By thissimple arrangement the tongue or the thills are securely coupled to theaxle, and so long as the horse or horses act normally they will remaincoupled to the vehicle, but in event of becoming unruly or attempting torun away, the driver by simply operating the double crank member caninstantly withdraw the trip levers and release the clamp members 20together with the thills or tongue coupled thereto and thus separate thedraft appliances from the vehicle.

The device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufacturedand a plied without structural changes to any of t e various vehiclesmanufactured.

What is claimed, is

In a horse releaser, base members having means for attachment to an axleand with stop pins at their forward ends and trip pins at their rearends, clamp members having l means under the control of the driver foracsoolits' with which draft appliances are l tuating said trip levers.10 adapted to be coupled and detac ably engagl In testimony whereof, Iafiix my signature, ing said stop pins at one end and engagingl presenceof two Witnesses.

over said trip pins at the other ends, trlp i PEARL 0. MGNICOL. leversswinging from said base members and l Witnesses: bearing over said trippins and retaining the W. J, BlLsoN,

clamp members Connected thereto, andi W. B. MCNICOL.

